Alchemist's Garden Tarot

Persistence Pays Off

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Today’s meditation was skipped.

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Dreamkeepers Tarot - Seven of Pentacles

Daily Mental Health Prompt: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Seven of Pentacles, which is traditionally a representation of slow growth, sustainability, domestic harmony, hard work, and practicing patience while the fruits of your labors develop and take form.

The Seven of Pentacles has then been combined with an affirmation from the Pass Around the Smile Positive Guidance Cards, which says, “Trust & Receive ~ Amazing work! Your persistence is paying off. Trust the process and expect to receive very soon.”

It’s extremely difficult not to lose hope when something that you’re invested feels like it’s taking forever.

Yes, there’s something to be said for patience. But, at the same time, patience can only take you so far before you start to lose hope. This is true whether it’s a goal you’re working towards, trauma you’re working through, or growth you’re trying to achieve.

This is where persistence comes into play, as well as trust. Persistence is the application of willpower alongside one’s patience. Combined with trust that the universe is going to allow you to get where you’re going eventually, it is a powerful tool in achieving one’s long-term goals and aspirations.

The message in today’s cards is a reminder that there is more to moving forward than active participation or tight gripped control. Sometimes persistence is required… as well as trust that you will get there when the timing is right and not before then.

DECKS USED: DREAMKEEPERS TAROT AND PASS AROUND THE SMILE POSITIVE GUIDANCE CARDS

@lightningwildflower‘s March Reflection to Action Challenge
Prompt for March 26th and 27th

Tarot Reading with the Alchemist's Garden Tarot and Stay Wild Timing Oracle

Identity: What truth about my identity is becoming clearer?

Root of Pentacles and New Moon – You don’t like that you’re beginning to grow a greater tolerance for insincerity and lack of integrity. You don’t want this to become “the new normal” for you and who you are, and you worry that this newfound tolerance will be the beginning of a change that will move you in that direction.

Patience: Where can I practice more patience with myself?

Wheel of Fortune and Autumn – (The cards pulled here chose to expand on the previous question, connecting them together.)

Remember that it is perfectly okay to say “not my circus, not my monkeys”.

If it doesn’t have anything to do with you, there’s no reason to make it have anything to do with you. Get involved in the things that you want to be involved in, and sit out the ones that you don’t. This isn’t a show of a new type of tolerance, but rather a stronger sense of discernment.

Other elements included in this reading:
Staghorn Sumac for Connecting with Nature and the Wild Within
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Scotch Pine Cone for Purging Negative Influences
Orange Aventurine Leaves for Pause and Reflection
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: THE ALCHEMIST’S TAROT AND STAY WILD TIMING ORACLE

@silkandsonder’s Journal Prompts to Feel Like Yourself Again 
Prompt No. 6 : When do I feel the most confident or clear-headed during the day?

Tarot Reading with the Dreamkeepers Tarot

Reading Summary: When you are able to sustain a sense of hope and optimism (The Star), this allows you to bend your trajectory (Strength) in a direction that results in happier outcomes (Ten of Cups).

Take Away: Your mental fog and lack of confidence are a direct result of your negative inner narratives, and the negativity and pessimism they instill within your mind, which then bleeds into your emotions and perceptions of the world around you.

The result of this is that it is when you are keeping up on your practices that help combat your negative inner voice, this is when you are the most clear headed and confident. Thus, the “when” of this question is not a specific time of day, but has more to do with what things you do within your day to create space for hope, optimism, and positivity to hold sway.

When you give these qualities space in your life, you do more than just lighten the load of your anxiety and stress, but create a space for a clearer mind in which your confidence can also flourish.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Carved Bamboo Latticework for Positive Outcomes
Clear Quartz for fostering Greater Mental Clarity
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: DREAMKEEPERS TAROT
Daily Self Kindness

I consciously chose ( and remembered!) to bring my DSLR camera with me, which I’ve been neglecting for quite some time. I even remembered the charger for the battery and a couple of spares.

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Feeling Your Way

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Prompt: “Draw a single random card from your favorite deck and share with us how the card makes you feel.”

Okay, so this isn’t perhaps my absolute most favorite deck, or even the most favorite deck I’m using this month.  But, it is one of the favorite decks I’m  using this month and I’ve really connected with it well and am enjoying it a great deal.

The Alchemist's Garden Tarot - Two of Cups - Rosa multiflora - Rose - ConnectionTwo of Cups – Rosa Multiflora (aka. Rose) – Connection

Throughout history the rose has been revered as a flower of love and the connection between people. Whether the color is red for passion, yellow for friendship, white innocent love, or pink for admiration, the rose is all about the connections that we make with each other and the communion of energies and emotions that are a part of humanity’s makeup.

When I see this card and Rosa multiflora imagery, the clusters of pink roses speak to me of that inter-connectivity and how people need people. This isn’t a single long stemmed rose, but rather it is a variation of multiflora, which grows with clusters of flowers gathered together.

Whether we are an extrovert or an introvert, all people thrive in connection with others… some thrive in large groups, and others with just one or two close people. But, it is that connection between people that helps bring depth and breadth to life as a whole, and most suffer in some way when it is not present in their lives in some manner.

The Alchemist's Garden Tarot - Root of Pentacles - Metrosideros excelsa (aka. Pohutukawa) - NurtureRoot of Pentacles – Metrosideros excelsa (aka. Pohutukawa) – Nurture

The Pohutukawa is an evergreen of the myrtle family that is endemic to New Zealand. The kahika flowers that this tree produces offer sweet nectar, while the strong roots that can even cling to rocky cliffs to support the colorful tree that towers above.

This combination of strength and beauty speaks deeply to me of the Queen of Pentacles and her strength… and her beauty.   She is supportive and warm, yet strong as iron.  She supports… she is sweet… and she is hard.

This card speaks to me of all these qualities.  It speaks to me of safety and stability.  Of someone that isn’t afraid to let their strength and stable foundation show, and can radiate beauty even as  they hold together all that matters to them.  It is a card that depicts a delicate and beautiful hand with an iron grip that will be used to support itself and others.

DECK USED:  THE ALCHEMIST’S GARDEN TAROT

Put Your Oxygen Mask On First

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IMG_1551Today’s meditation was just under thirteen minutes long and was a guided meditation with the Calm app combined with an interval timer for my piriformis stretching. I’ve done a lot of skipping in meditation lately, and my stretches are definitely telling me that this is a bad idea. I’ve been having a bit more trouble with my lower back as well over the past week. It’s time to get back into things, either that or I’m going to have to increase my chiropractor visits.  I’d rather not sink the money into that option.

The focus of today’s meditation was about  how sometimes the first step in any journey can be the hardest. The thing is, though, the first step doesn’t have to be a big one. None of the steps on that journey need to be big ones. As long as you’re at least shuffling along a few inches at a time? You’re still making progress.  It might not feel like it, but it’s still progress.

Isidore Tarot Sea and Sand Spring Edition and Flower Fortune CardsToday’s draw is the Ten of Coins, which is traditionally a representation of stability and security obtained through hard work and shared with others.  These themes often center around financial success, good health, stability and security at home, and other material themes being shared with those closest to you such as family and friends.

In this manner, the well dressed bird in the imagery of today’s card shares his wealth and good fortune with the other birds  in his care, building them a luxurious house and making sure that they are comfortable and well cared for.

Combined with the Flower Fortunes card for today, which states that “Before trying to please others, firstly think of what makes you happy”, there is a message here today not just about tending to one’s own happiness, but also your own needs and self care.

No matter how much you want to care for others, it is absolutely imperative that you care for yourself first. You cannot expect your body, your finances, or your stamina to old out if you are not giving it what it needs.  That includes down time, good food, happiness, and all the other things that you need to care for yourself.   Just as you need to make money before you can share the wealth, you have to make sure you have found your  happiness before you can make others happy.  Doing it the other way around doesn’t make sense and is extremely unhealthy.

DECK USED:  ISIDORE TAROT SEA AND SAND SPRING EDITION AND FLOWER FORTUNE CARDS

Raven Willow Tarot’s Emotional Exploration Prompt
Questions for May 17th & 18th

The Alchemist's GardenWhat role does pride play in my life?

Eight of Swords (Monkshood) – If it is not held in check by a heavy dose of self-awareness and objectivity, pride can blind you to the truth.

Five of Cups (Taique) – It can drag us down when we take pride in things that aren’t meant for us. We then miss those things that are.

Seven of Wands (Living Rock) – Pride lights fire beneath our convictions, principles, and values, giving us the strength to stand fast against opposition that tries to rise up against what we feel is right.

How can I better enhance the positive aspects of pride?

The Emperor (San Pedro) – When you feel that pride is cutting you off from seeing the whole picture, take ownership of that feeling and the fact that the blockage is coming from within you instead of from an external source. Explore and seek to understand what’s going on rather than letting it pass by unnoticed.

Nine of Pentacles (Sassafras) – When feeling a sense of entitlement and discontent, pause to take a look around at what you really have, how far you’ve come, how much you’ve truly accomplished, and how good you really have it. 

Four of Pentacles (Lions Mane) – In times when you stand up for what you believe in, make sure that you have steady footing and that you are not cutting down others in the process of lifting yourself up.

DECK USED:  THE ALCHEMIST’S GARDEN TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsMay2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: In what area are you not practicing enough self-care?

Isidore Tarot Sea and Sand Spring EditionReading Summary: You’re not giving yourself enough benefit of the doubt (Strength) where finding balance in your life is concerned (Two of Coins). Moderation is not a punishment, but a path to better things (Temperance), so lift yourself up with optimism and hope, and start looking at this effort in a more positive light (The Star).

Take Away: The message here is about moderation and optimism.  Here is where the lack resides and where I need to work on fostering something more hopeful, positive, and lighthearted.

My naturally pessimistic tendencies have started to come out a bit more strongly of late, and they need to be brought back in hand (along with that negative inner narrative in my head).  It’s important to remember to celebrate your accomplishments along the way, even the tiny ones.  Each step forward is progress, no matter how small that step might be.

DECK USED:  ISIDORE TAROT SEA AND SAND SPRING EDITION

Daily Self Kindness

I had myself a nice epsom salt and apple cider soak in the tub today, and even managed to not fall asleep in the process!

Success and Good Fortune

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Today’s meditation was not timed, and was done during my trip to the wetlands this morning.  I arrived just before dawn and spent an hour or so there, watching the sun come up and listening to the birds as they awakened and became busy in the start of their day.  The meditation was peaceful and quiet, and I spent a good part of my visit walking the trails, and the rest of it sitting on one of the pier stops along the way enjoying the fresh air and birdsong while watching occasionally movements in the water indicating frogs or some other wildlife was active just beneath the surface.

Tarot of Wishmaster Manikins and Flower Fortune CardsToday’s draw is the Six of Wands, which is traditionally a representation of either the seeking of or obtainment of public accolades. It’s a card that is all about success, whether it’s what you’re striving for or what you’ve achieved, and the public side of being admired, praised, or otherwise recognized for those successes.

There’s something interesting about this card specifically, as just yesterday I had almost used this deck and I’d picked it up then changed my mind.  Before putting it back down I gave it a shuffle, and this exact card popped out.  Being that I’d chosen to go a different path yesterday, I put the card back.

And here it is again.

Combined with the Flower Fortunes card today, whose advice is “Fortune favors the brave”, what I see in today’s cards is an encouragement not to let doubts and uncertainties hold you back from the things that you want out of life. Fortune isn’t the only thing that favors the brave, after all… so does success.  So if there’s anything that you are hanging back on due to fear or uncertainties?  It’s time to sort those fears and uncertainties out, and take that leap forward.  Be brave… and believe that you can succeed.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF WISHMASTER MANIKINS AND FLOWER FORTUNE CARDS

The Sacred Grounds Tarot Club Prompt
Question: What stops me from expressing my passions?

Alchemist's Garden Tarot

Reading Summary: Fear of losing (The Tower) the joy and fun that I can find in life (The Sun), or losing my way entirely (Seven of Wands).

Take Away:  There are very few passions that I’m fearful of expressing. Of those that I am, the reason that I hold them back and “close to the vest” is due to fear.  The thing is, when you pursue your passions and bring them into fruition, this can often bring about drastic changes in your life.  And… like most people?  I struggle with change.  There is a sense of fear in the thought that this change might diminish the fun and success that I’ve managed thus far, or cause my deep roots and moral compass to somehow go awry.  When I hold back?  These are what I fear happening, and these are the things that hold me back in those moments.

DECK USED:  ALCHEMIST’S GARDEN TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicsMay2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: How can you better express to loved ones how you feel about them?

Tarot of Wishmaster ManikinsReading Summary:  Slow down (Eight of Wands Rx) and pay closer attention (Eight of Swords). Lead the way toward their dreams (King of Wands) and involve them more in the process (Six of Pentacles).

Take Away: To better express to my loved ones how I feel about them, there are two things that they need from me.  The first is to make sure I’m slowing down and spending time with them.  Time that allows my attention to truly rest upon them instead of being distracted or blinded by other things and people.  My undivided attention.

Second is to ensure that when I am delegating work that I’m doing so in a fair and balanced manner, as well as ensuring that I’m keeping in mind their own passions in the process.  By sharing alike in the work, as well as the fun and play and enjoyment of the process, they feel appreciated and enthusiastic instead of just another “cog in the machine”.

DECK USED:  TAROT OF WISHMASTER MANIKINS

Daily Self Kindness

I know that this is a repeat theme, but I toll a nap today instead of forcing myself to stay awake, even though what I really wanted was more time with Gideon.